Dehumidifier and drier



April 27, 1954 R. K. sHEWMoN 2,576,418

DEHUMIDIFIER AND DRIER Filed Feb. 27, 1951 INVENTOR. EAL PH A. /fewMo/w of the drum at diametrically Patented Apr. 27,h 1954 Ralph ii. Shewmon, Dayton,

Ohio, assigner to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, -Mich.,ra

corporation of Delaware Application `February 27, 1951, Serial No. 213,012

(Cl. SLI- 77) 2 Ciaims.

This invention apparatus.

It is among the objects of the resent invention to provide a unitary dehumidifier having dual characteristics, one a rotary drier, the other a. regional dehumidilier. .As a rotary drier, the dehumidier extracts moisture from air being cirrelates to dehumidifying in the unitary structure humidifier, the rotary drier is rendered inoperative and the unit functions to eXtra-ct moisture from atmosphere drawn from areas surrounding again discharged A further object of the present invention is to provide the dual purpose dehumidifying unit with simple control means operative to render the rotary drier completely inactive While the unit is functioning to dehumidify atmosphere in surrounding or remote areas.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view disclosing the unitary structure containing the rotary drier, the refrigerating device acting as a dehumidier and the air circulating and now control devices.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, detail View illustrating the motor driven air circulating mechanism and its associated elements.

Referring to the drawings, the dual purpose, dehumidifying unit is shown consisting of a :nain housing 2o, which may be of any desirable shape and in which a drum ,2i is rotatably supported. The outer, peripheral wall of drum 2| is perforated and, if found necessary, the end heads of the drum may also be perforated so that air may pass into and through the drum for purposes of drying the contents of the drum. The supporting stub shafts 22 extending axially from each end head, are journaied in suitable bearings provided within the housing 2t, the one stub shaft 22 having a pulley 23 attached thereto for receivbelt A, cover 25 closes an opening in the housing Zd which makes the drier drum 2| accessiole. The drum is provided with any suitable,

closable opening, not shown, for the introduction and removal of material to be dried.

Within the housing 2t there is also provided .a conduit Sil, the two open ends 3| and 32 of which are contiguous to the peripheral surface opposite sides re- .the conduit drum 2| and over its contents. .laden airpasses from the drum 2| through open- 2 spectively. This conduit St contains the dehumdier 33 and the air circulating apparatus 34.

.The dehumidifier 33 is a refrigerating device consisting of a motor driven compressor 35 in communication with a condenser coil 38 and an evaporator coil s?, both coils being in communi- .cation with each other through an expansion valve 33. These form a closed circuit for contained refrigerant. The dehumidier 33 is 1ocated within conduit 3,3 adjacent its opening 3|. Directly beneath the connects or vdisconnects the-driven part of the clutch from its driving part. In this instance, the driving part of the clutch is attached to shaft 1| so as to rotate therewith, the driven part of the clutch carrying thepulley 44 which receives the belt 24 also connected with pulley 23 on the drier drum shaft 22. The shiftable part of this clutch, the driven part, is actuated to cause release or engagement of the clutch by an actuator 45 extending to the exterior of the housing. Any suitable circuit controller 5t is electrically connected to the motor Viii and the motor for compressor 35, said controller being operative to render said motors active or inactive. If desired, separate controllers .for both motors may be provided.

As thus far described, this mechanism forms a drier for contents of the drum 2|. When the fan and compressor motor are rendered active,

`the drumv 2| is rotated by its belt connection with the motor til as is also the fan 42. The operating compressor 35 renders the refrigerating device 33 active. Air forced by fan 42 through conduit 36, over the refrigerating device 33, passes from opening 3| through the perforated The moisture Ais maintained as long as the fan "i2 is driven by motor 4U. The refrigerating device, functionins as a dehumidifier, extracts moisture from by the fan 42, through conduit 3o, over the refrig the moisture laden air passing over it on its way erator or dehumidifier 33 and through the perto be recrculated through the drum 2|, the forated drum 2|,

moisture gathering on the evaporator coil 3'! of When the aree, outside Jone housing is to be the dehumidifier 33 and dripping inte the drain 5 dehumidied, ports 60 and 6I are again opened 39. Thus the air, circulated through the conduit which causes their respective closure members 30 and drum 2l, has its moisture content reduced, to be moved into positions in which they shut thereby faeilitating and aeeeleratine the drying oif communication between the conduit 3U and of the drum contents which may be laundry, the drum2l,thus isolating the drum. The clutch grain or any other material from which moisture l in pulley 43 is adjusted to release the pulley from is to be extracted. the motor shaft and render said pulley inopera- To render the aforedescribed mechanism eiective by said shaft whereby the drum remains tive for dual dehumidifying purposes so that not inactive. The fan, when rotating, draws air from only the Contents of the rotating drum is dethe outside area, into the conduit, forces it humidified but surrounding areas or another through the conduit over the dehumidifier and chamber, separate from the drum, may be deout of the unit through port 6|,

humidified, means are provided in the unit where- From this it may be seen that in the present by the drum is circumvented and other areas are invention o unitary dehumidiiier is providedl havbrought into cooperating communication with ing means adjustable to convert said unitary the conduit 30. This feature is accomplished structure from a rotary drier into a dehumidifier by providing communicating ports or openings for areas surrounding or remote from the unit Ge and 5 l, in the housing 20 and Conduit 30 POrt itself. The two ports 60 and 6I may be connected Sil is located so as to communicate with the inby ducts with other drying units separate from terior of the conduit behind fan 42 and between the unit supplied with the dehumidifying mechasaid fan and the opening 32 of the duct. The 2v nism 33,

Other pOrt ii! Opens ntO the duet between the A simple operation of clutch and closure memdehumidier 33 and the conduit opening 3ibers converts a rotating drum drier into a room Both pOrtS may be Opened or closed by a Closure or exterior chamber dehumidifier, thus giving the member hingedly secured to the housing or conunit o duel funoi-,ionai chai-cion duitwall, port el! by the closure member S2 and 30 While i-,he embodiment of the present inven.. pOrt 'Si by the Closure member 63. When Said tion as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred closure members cover their respective perte form, it is to be understood that other forms as illustrated in Fig. l, the unit operates as a might be adopted drum content dehumidifier. It will be noted What is oiaimed is as follows;

that when said closure members 62 and 63, re- 3 1. As a domestic appliance for use in homes Speetively, are InOVed into their dot and dash a self contained single unit clothes drier and line position as illustrated in Fie. 1, their reroom air dehumidifying unit, comprising a cabseeetive ports Se and el are opened and each inet, a rotatable perforated drum within said member functions as a damper, member 62 010s' cabinet to receive clothes to be dried, an access ing the conduit adjacent its opening 32 and 40 door in one wall of the cabinet to gain access member e3 Closing the COnduit near Opening 3i. to said drum for loading the same, partitions When the fan 42 iS Operated With members 32 Within said cabinet compartmenting the in and E3 s0 aetine aS dampeI'S, all' S drawn from terior of the cabinet to form with the walls therethe area outside housing 20y thlOugh Dort 60 of an air flow duct open at both ends with both into conduit and forced through said con- 45 open ends oioseiy adjacent the periphery of the duit, over the dehumidier 33 and Out threugh drum and encircling a portion of the drum and port el into the said aree exterior of the housdisposed at substantially opposite sides of the ing. The drum 2| is completely isolated and drum, fan means in said duct for circulating air no air is circulated therethrough. through the same, a refrigerant cooling means When the unit functions as a dehumidifier for 50 and a, refrigerant condensing means in said duct atmosphere exterior of the housing 20, it WOulfl in series flow relationship to dehumidify air cirbe undesirable and impractical to actuate the oulated by the fan through the duct, a wall of drum 2l. Therefore the pulley 43, driven by said cabinet having an air inlet opening into the fan motor 4] and drivingly connected to the Seid not hei-,Ween Said fon and one open emi of drum pulley 2e by `oeit 2d, is reieesabiy Secured 55 said duet, a closure member in said duet adjacent to the shaft lil of said motor by any Suitable said inlet having one position to close said inlet standard releasable clutch mechanism, interwhereby oiiis drown into said doei, from said pOSed between the pulley i3 and meter Shaft 4| drum and a second position to close said duct This clutch mechanism is controlled by an actuabetween the fen and the Said one open end theretor d5 extending through the housing t0 the 50 of whereby air is drawn into said duct through exterior thereof so as to be readily accessible. said inlet from the room in Whioh the appiiahee Thus when the unit is to be used as a drier is positioned, a wall of said cabinet also having for material within the drum 2|, pOItS 60 and an outlet opening from said duct between the 5| are closed by the respective closure members position of said oooiing .and condensing means 62 and G3, thereby rernOVine the restrictions in 65 and the other open end of said duct, a closure the conduit provided by said members 52 and 63 member in said duct adjacent said outlet having when in their pOrt Opening pOStiOnS- The aetuaone position to close said outlet whereby air distor is moved to adjust the Clutch SO that charges from the duct into said drum and a pulley 43 iS Operatively eOnneCted t0 shaft 4i second position to close said duct between said and the former will be rotated with the latter 7U other open end thereof and the position of said and thus said rotating pulley 43 will drive the eooiing and oonfiensing units therein whereby drum 2i through belt 2d and the pulley 23 On air discharges from the duct into the room in the drum shaft 22. The controller or switch which the appliance is positioned, said closure is actuated to render the fan motor and 00inmembers providing thereby solely for air circula- Ypressor motor active so that the air is circulated tion Jthrough Said (ii-nm when Seid oiosure inembers are in the said one position and solely for room air circulation through said duct when the closure members are in the said second position.

2. A domestic appliance in accordance with claim 1 in which the fan and the drum are driven by a single power source.

References Cited in the le of this patent Number 10 Number Name Date Pickens Mar. 25, 1930 Zwickl May 2, 1939 Fox Jan. 21, 1941 Phipps Mar. 16, 1943 Hough Nov. 20, 1945 Smith Apr. 1, 194'? FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Aug. 25, 1923 Italy Dec. 28, 1945 

